More Gems from Lamentations

³¹ For the Lord will not cast off forever, ³² but, though He cause grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love; ³³ for He does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men. ³⁴ To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth, ³⁵ to deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High, ³⁶ to subvert a man in his lawsuit, the Lord does not approve. ³⁷ Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? ³⁸ Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? ³⁹ Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins? ⁴⁰ Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD! (Lam 3:31-40)

Chapter 3 has some really good stuff in it. I already mentioned the wonderful reality that "The Lord is my portion", a fully sufficient answer to whatever hardship you may be encountering. But these other components stood out to me as well.

I had a conversation recently with someone who assured me that God only had one will. His will was only for good. I was listening to a debate the other day and heard someone claim that it is not God's will that bad things happen. A very common claim. Not supportable, at least from Jeremiah's perspective. Note his position here. God "does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men." Does that mean that God does not afflict or grieve people? Clearly not, since the entire book is Jeremiah's lament over the affliction and grief that God has caused in His judgment of Judah. God does afflict and grieve the children of men. He just doesn't enjoy it. (Two wills.) Instead, Jeremiah is quite certain that "Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?" Do you know that? Or are you going to claim that only good comes from the mouth of the Most High and the bad comes from someone or somewhere else? God repeatedly makes this claim about Himself. Keep in mind that idolatry is worshiping a replacement for the real God. If the real God claims to produce both pleasant and unpleasant, good and bad, light and darkness, well-being and calamity, and you claim it's not so, that would be a replacement for the real God. Just a warning there.

What is Jeremiah's answer to this? I mean, if it is true that God afflicts people and it is true that God Himself claims to produce both good and bad, is that fair? Is that just? Jeremiah has an answer. "Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins?" In other words, "Are you sure you want to go there?" We tend to forget what we deserve. We tend to take grace for granted. Jeremiah is reminding us. Even as saved individuals, God would be fully justified in pouring out all sorts of temporal hardships on sinners such as us. We've earned it. And it's important to keep in mind. He who is forgiven much loves much. If we deserve God's favor, it isn't grace.

Jeremiah, then, has an application to this little sermon. Given the steadfast love of God, His disappointment in having to inflict people with difficulties, His willingness to do so, and our own sinfulness, He has a response. Let's not complain about hardships. "Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD!"

Thank You, Lord, when You discipline and correct us. Thank You for the undeserved favor You've already shown us in giving us Your Son. Thank You for your mercy when we deserve justice. Teach us to watch our ways and to turn always to You.